Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Aid topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hawaiian Council reports $11.5M distributed, asks OHA to fund additional federal‑worker tranche and broaden SNAP support
Summary
The Hawaiian Council told the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees it has distributed $11,523,000 through the Eola program, hit a cap on the federal‑worker stipend and recommends additional funds to clear a 247‑person holding queue; it also urged broader outreach and considered expanding SNAP eligibility to families.
The Hawaiian Council told the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board on Dec. 18 that it has distributed $11,523,000 in emergency aid since launching its program a month earlier and has sharply reduced its waiting list. Council leaders asked trustees to consider two near‑term changes: allocate more money to finish paying approved federal workers who remain in a holding queue and consider broadening SNAP stipend eligibility to include families with dependents so aid moves faster to households in need.
Council staff said the federal‑worker program was originally contracted to cover up to 1,000 beneficiaries and that approvals now exceed that cap; 247 eligible applicants remain unpaid pending additional allocation. “We were providing them a $1,500, $1,200 stipend,” the council’s presenter told trustees, summarizing the program design and the current shortfall. The council recommended a targeted supplemental allocation to wrap up that tranche rather than reopening the intake period.
Trustees and the council also discussed outreach challenges to reach SNAP‑recipient households: staff described housing instability and mental‑health barriers that make applicants hard to contact. The council reported 880 SNAP‑based approvals so far and said reaching additional eligible households will require a ground outreach effort, partnerships with social workers and the Department of Human Services, and targeted in‑person campaigns at grocery stores on benefit days.
Trustees asked for clearer marketing and branding on digital ads so beneficiaries recognize OHA’s role. Trustee Akaka urged more prominent OHA logos in outreach materials; the council agreed to review ad creative and confirmed the administrative side is covering targeted digital advertising costs, not program funds.
The council also described verification and anti‑fraud steps: an intake platform (Salesforce), trained staff with prior federal program experience, layered approval workflows and planned post‑distribution audits and spot checks by OHA. Trustees expressed support for expanded coordination with state agencies and community providers before allocating additional dollars.
The council closed by noting outreach efforts across islands — online, digital ads targeted by demographic and day‑of benefit outreach at grocery stores — and asked trustees for guidance on any additional operational support they could provide to expedite payments.
